Saturday, February 19, 2011

This recipe is so perfect in the balance of flavors and textures that there's no way to improve upon it. I made it for this afternoons tea and it was a huge hit all around with four out of four people adoring it.

Pizza with Bacon, Onions and Cream [Alsatian Pizza]Stolen from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from André Soltner via Food & Wine
Serves 4 for a light dinner with a salad; can be divided to 8 appetizer portions or 16 tiny party portions
1/2 pound pizza dough
Olive oil, for oiling baking sheets
1/2 cup fromage blanc or ricotta
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 pound thickly sliced smoky bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon crisps up. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add onion to skillet and cook until softened and beginning to caramelize (I added a pinch of sugar which aids the caramelizing process), an amount of time I forgot to write down but would estimate at 7 to 10 minutes.
Whisk together (or blend together in a food processor, if you want it silky-smooth) fromage blanc and crème fraîche with flour, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece out to a rough 8-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. If the dough becomes difficult to roll, let it rest for 10 minutes, then continue.
Oil two large baking sheets. Transfer two dough rounds to each. Spread the fromage blanc mixture over the rounds to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle with the bacon and onion. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for about 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve.

Have you ever not done something because you thought it would be difficult or time consuming then once you tried it wanted to kick yourself for not doing it sooner? That's how I'm feeling about pizza dough today.
I will admit that ever though there are 7 steps to this dough (plus another two for pizza) I skipped a few. I mixed up the dough and divided into eight equal balls, covered and put in the fridge over night, the next morning all I did was let it come up to room temp for an hour, flatten it out to the size and thickness I wanted and let rest for another hour, top and bake. That easy!!! See, totally kicking myself.

1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). With a large metal spoon, stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment), If you are mixing by hand, repeatedly dip one of your hands or the metal spoon into cold water and use it, much like a dough hook, to work the dough vigorously into a smooth mass while rotating the bowl in a circular motion with the other hand. Reverse the circular motion a few times to develop the gluten further. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are evenly distributed. If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a tea- spoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50 to 55F.
2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with baking parchment and misting the parchment with spray oil (or lightly oil the parchment). Using a metal dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you are comfortable shaping large pizzas), You can dip the scraper into the water between cuts to keep the dough from sticking to it, Sprinkle flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands, dip your hands into the flour again. Transfer the dough balls to the sheet pan, Mist the dough generously with spray oil and slip the pan into a food-grade plastic bag.
3. Put the pan into the refrigerator overnight to rest the dough, or keep for up to 3 days. (Note: If you want to save some of the dough for future baking, you can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can place the bags into the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)
4. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Before letting the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours, dust the counter with flour, and then mist the counter with spray oil. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil, and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag. Now let rest for 2 hours.
5. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone either on the floor of the oven (for gas ovens), or on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven as hot as possible, up to 800F (most home ovens will go only to 500 to 550F, but some will go higher). If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.
6. Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. Dip your hands, including the backs of your hands and knuckles, in flour and lift I piece of dough by getting under it with a pastry scraper. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion on your hands, carefully giving it a little stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and re-flour your hands, then continue shaping it. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss as shown on page 208. If you have trouble tossing the dough, or if the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 20 minutes so the gluten can relax, and try again. You can also resort to using a rolling pin, though this isn't as effective as the toss method.
7. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction (about 9 to 12 inches in diameter for a 6-ounce piece of dough), lay it on the peel or pan, making sure there is enough semolina flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide. Lightly top it with sauce and then with your other top- pings, remembering that the best pizzas are topped with a less-is-more philosophy. The American "kitchen sink" approach is counterproductive, as it makes the crust more difficult to bake. A few, usually no more than 3 or 4 toppings, including sauce and cheese is sufficient.
8. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan) and close the door. Wait 2 minutes, then take a peek. If it needs to be rotated 180 degrees for even baking, do so. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone to a lower self before the next round. if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone for subsequent bakes.
9. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Wait 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving, to allow the cheese to set slightly.Makes six 6-ounce pizza crusts.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

This is a sort of modification on a delicious recipe from Inside BruCrew for Caramel Apple Scones. I really wanted to make her version but didn't have the exact ingredients on hand. I needed a bit more flour than the recipe called for too, They turn out almost cake like, perfectly moist and oh so yummy.

Heat oven to 400*F
In a food processor add your flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pulse a couple of times to combine then add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles course crumbs.
Whisk together the milk and egg and slowly add to the flour mixture until a dough forms. Add the apples and chocolate. They will probably not fully incorporate in the food processor, so turn out onto a well floured surface and knead a few times to get them fully mixed in. Note: The dough is pretty sticky.
Lightly spray a cookie sheet with no stick spray and place the dough in the center flattening it out to about a 9 inch round. Sprinkle generously with granulated sugar and bake for aprox. 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into wedges. You can serve these warm but they're just as delicious the next day...if you have any left.

About Me

I have had and artistic bend since I was a child. My mother was an artist and an art teacher so she made sure we had access to a multitude of media...the decision was made to take away the oil paints when I decided to finger paint the dog but that was for the best.
My mother also instilled in me a love of baking and cooking. I have fond memories of standing on a stool at the counter to roll cookie dough, and punch down bread dough. Birthday cakes were always home made (I always requested cherry cheesecake)and the only time we ate out was when we made the drive into the city.
I live with my wonderful husband who amazingly just gets me and hasn't had me committed yet. My daughter who has learned the art of smiling and nodding at the things I say and a charming mosh pit of dogs, cats and a very grumpy bird.
A good day is one where I can be with my family or sit down with my latest project and a cuppa tea.